Modern safety standards often require workers on rooftops to employ fall protection systems to guard against fall-related injuries and death. For workers on buildings that are under construction, as well as completed buildings, it may be desirable to use a personal fall arrest system (“PFAS”), such as that specified in the United States Code of Federal Regulations (29 C.F.R. § 1926.502(d)). A PFAS typically comprises a body support (safety harness for the worker), an anchor that is securely fastened to the building structure, and a connector between the anchor and the harness. The connector is usually a fabric strap, which in some systems is mounted on a self-retracting reel that can lock if a fall is detected. In other systems the connector may be a shock-absorbing lanyard. The anchor must be securely attached to the building in such a manner that it will withstand the forces of a falling worker. If more than one anchor is placed on a roof, a horizontal lifeline (cable or otherwise) can be attached to or run through one or more anchors, and the connector may be attached to the horizontal lifeline to give the workers more maneuverability along the horizontal lifeline.
Most anchors are geared towards metal-framed buildings, attaching to metal framing members or a concrete deck. In wood-framing applications, the anchors are most often attached to the top of the wooden rooftop sheathing (⅝-inch or 16 mm plywood or the like), or attached to a single framing member through the sheathing. In either application, the fasteners are usually oriented in the same direction, which could in extreme circumstances unduly stress the roof, the framing member, or even cause the fasteners to detach. These applications typically rely on the integrity of the sheathing or the single framing member. What is needed is a fall protection anchor that can be used in wooden or metal framing that spreads the load over a number of framing members, and has fasteners in numerous orientations to spread shear forces.
In addition to the fall protection anchor, outrigger beams are often required so that window washers and other workers may safely descend over the side of a building. In a typical apparatus, the outrigger beam support is a dedicated device with no other use. It is desirable to have a fall protection anchor that could also be used as an outrigger beam support and converted as necessary, and possibly simultaneously serve a dual purpose as both.